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Archived: YOGA for the MIND: to help pay for my 200 hours Yoga Teacher training

WHAT’S THE STORY?

I am fundraising to help pay for my 200 hours Yoga Teacher training so I can take this incredible practice into the community and to people I feel will receive huge benefits from the practice. My aim is to take Yoga to mental health services and charities. The benefits I have experienced from the practice of Yoga and Meditation, with regards to my bipolar disorder, have been life changing. I want so much to share it with other sufferers that may not have access to or be able to afford classes in Yoga and Meditation.

I want to make free workshops available to teach people how yoga and meditation can improve overall mental health, and with the help of you and MIND Kingston I can make this happen.

Another issue close to me is CHD awareness and funding. Any extra money raised will be donated to HEART LINK children’s charity and to Mind mental health charity.

WHY YOGA?

I have been practicing and studying yoga and meditation for a few years now and have made it part of my everyday routine for the past year and a half. I am diagnosed with bipolar disorder and have battled this condition for many years. Not wanting to take prescriptive medication for the rest of my life, I have researched and tried many methods to help relieve the condition. Nothing much helped until I took up the practice of Yoga and Meditation.

Yoga has made a massive positive impact on my mental health and I want to share the benefits of this with as many people as I can, especially those suffering mental illness who may not have access to it or be able to afford classes.

I am more than grateful for finding Yoga and I want to share some of the benefits here.

There have been many scientific studies done on the mental, psychological and cognitive effects of yoga on the mind. The research has been promising. Scientists have found that the levels of amino acid GABA are much higher in those that practice Yoga, compared to people practising exercise at a similar level. GABA is essential to the function of brain and central nervous system and helps promote a state of calm within the body.

Low GABA levels are associated with depression and anxiety disorders.

A holistic approach to mental health treatment, alongside current treatment, is necessary. The ancient methods of Yoga and Meditation have always focused on Mind, Body and Soul. This helps the mind regain the much needed equanimity.

Meditation has now been proven by science to have the incredible ability of rewiring the brain. In effect, it can actually help restore long-term wellness by rearranging neural pathways.

The other cause close to me are children born with congenital heart defects. Heart defects affect and take the lives of more babies and children than all childhood cancers combined, but in comparison awareness and funding is very small. My nephew was born with a life threatening heart defect, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, and has undergone many open heart surgeries, he is only 5 years old and is the most inspiring little boy ever.

With my Yoga training I aim to raise awareness for congenital heart defects, and funding for incredible charities like Heart Link and Little Hearts Matter.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

The cost of the Yoga teacher training, including course materials and crowdfunder fees, will come to £2000. Any additional money raised will go to the incredible charity heartlink, who do amazing work for children born with congential heart defects, and also to Mind, the mental health charity with whom I am working with to make these workshops available.

You can help by donating anything you can in return for great rewards, or by sharing this fundraising page.

The teacher training certification will allow me to work with local mental health charities, WWAG and MIND Kingston (and hopefully more), to take Yoga to people living with mental illness. It will also allow me to raise awareness and funds, for those living with heart defects and illness.

I will also run local classes that can be enjoyed by anyone who wants to experience the amazing benefits of yoga.

WHAT I’VE DONE SO FAR

I have my diploma in Meditation and have spent quality time learning and experiencing different meditation techniques. I regularly take meditation retreats at the Dhammakaya Buddhist Temple in Woking where I train with teaching Monks in their style of meditation. Meditation goes hand in hand with Yoga as Yoga is a moving meditation, working with the breath. I am currently working with MIND mental health charity to set up a 4 week programme of Meditation.

I have ran successful meditation workshops and created my own guided meditations that can be downloaded and enjoyed.

I am also studying subtle energy and mindfulness and practice Yoga, not just the physical side, everyday.

I teach weekly Zumba fitness classes that have been running for nearly 4 years now. I have dedicated class members that turn up every week and also enjoyed a meditation, stretch and detox workshop I ran this year.

Having first hand experience of mental illness and having done a lot of research into helpful techniques and coping stratergies, I feel I would be a great candidate to take this positive practice to people struggling with these issues, and teach them beneficial and potentially life improving techniques that they can include in their daily routine.

Medication seems to be the go to treatment for mental illness, some people staying on it for their entire lives, I’d like to offer additional statergies to coping with these conditions.

THE COSTS

I have researched in depth the most appropriate yoga training for me and for what I want to achieve, and the most cost effective. I have found a wonderful course in India with Kranti Yoga. It works out more than £1500 cheaper than taking a course in the UK. Training in India, the home of yoga, will allow me to bring a unique and truthful practice to participants.

The course = £1800

Crowfunder Fees at 6% of £2000 = £120

Course Materials and Books = £80

TOTAL = £2000

I will also need to fund the cost of travel and my month stay in India, and equipment for my classes, but the most important cost is that of the course.

I would love to raise more than the suggested amount so that I can donate it to the two charities Mind and Heart Link.

If you can help in any way by either donating or sharing my project, I will be extremely grateful 🙂

HEART LINK CHILDREN’S CHARITY

Any additional funds raised will be donated to this amazing charity.

Heart Link have done so much life changing work for children born with congenital heart defects. Heart Link brought the system known as E.C.M.O (Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation) to the UK. To this day there are still only 4 in the UK.

Fundarising for Heart defects is often over looked, but Heart Link have made incredible things happen to help save the lives of children in the UK born with this condition. They have funded projects such as getting a helicopter landing pad at Glenfield hospital, home of one the E.C.M.O systems, to enable children needing urgent attention to be brought in more quickly, improving their chances of survival.

Please take a look at their website to see their wonderful work and what they are currently working towards funding